Gujarat Housing Board (GHB) would launch seven projects offering 6,300 residential units for people under various income groups, a decision which comes close on the heels of opposition Congress announcing a housing scheme for women ahead of the Assembly poll.

"A decision to launch seven housing projects - three in Ahmedabad, two in Rajkot and one each in Surat and Vadodara - was taken during a Board meeting held today," Chairman of GHB, Jayantilal Barot said. These projects would have around 6,300 units in three categories LIG (low income group), MIG (medium income group) and HIG (high income group), for which applications forms shall be available from August 27, he said.

"The scheme shall remain open for 10-15 days for subscription," Barot said. The consultants for these projects have been appointed and the pre-bid for contractor selection is scheduled for August 29, Barot said.

The decision comes in the wake of Congress announcing an ambitious low-cost housing scheme, 'Ghar-nu-Ghar', for women if it came to power after the upcoming Assembly election.

Around 28 lakh women from across Gujarat had filled up the subscription form for the cheap houses offered by the Congress.

Under the scheme, 15 lakh houses would be built, mostly for rural women, who have to repay the cost of Rs one lakh over 15 years, party sources said.

GHB, the low-cost housing construction arm of the government which had been virtually lying dormant for past several years, denied its decision is aimed at countering the Congress' pre-poll promise.

The Board had been thinking of launching these projects for the last six months or so, but it is now that we have been able to give it a concrete shape, Barot maintained.